GBB Buying Advice

[Jamsandwich]

Hey guys,

 

I'm hoping you good people can give me a little consumer advice regarding a new GBB pistol.  I'm getting back in the game after a 15 year hiatus or so and my USP Compact has a broken trigger for which I can't find a replacement anywhere.  So it looks like I'm in the market for a new sidearm (a part may become available at some point).

 

I'd like a new pistol that is easy to maintain and easy to upgrade (internally and maybe externally) and will remain so for an extended period of time.  I know that Hi-Capas and Glocks are so popular now, partly for this reason.  I'm thinking I'll probably go for a Hi-capa...or a glock....but...

• How are other pistol models for maintainability?  The gucci hi-capa/Glock external upgrades aren't a massive draw for me (though over time I may go down that route), so if there are other more interesting pistols that have the same level of internal upgrade options then I'd be interested.
• Onto brands.  Could I basically buy any hi-capa/Glock?  I realise they likely wouldn't all be as good out-of-box but I'm assuming pretty much any brand could be brought up to the same standard with the right parts?  Or is there any particular hi-capa/Glock that I should go for?
• Budget would be around £100 or so.

 

 

Incidentally, if anybody has experience with what I've recently learned is a known issue with the Umarex USPc trigger and knows of a replacement option I'd be very happy.  I've looked at all the parts stockists.  There are parts for it, but trigers all out of stock.

 

[Rogerborg]

£100 comes in under TM money, so you're going to be compromising.  I'm fine with a cheap Army Armament R17 mock-Glock as a woodland hip-hanger and occasionally indoor use.

 

Avoid Raven, it's some random Nuprol rebrand that even Nuprol won't gamble their, er, "reputation" on.

 

The AAP-01 got a lot of love when it came out.  Glock mags, gas efficient, full auto.  Then they started breaking, quite a bit - trigger or hammer, I think.  Maybe not an issue if you're planning to replace parts anyway, and you can't really argue with the price if you buy today:

 

https://www.patrolbase.co.uk/action-army-aap-01-assassin-gbb-pistol?pv=14741

[EDcase]

Welcome back 🖐

 

As Rogerborg said, TM is commonly regarded as the best performing manufacturer but a bit more pricy (and not full metal if that's important for you)

Most other makes are decent (apart from mentioned Nuprol) but there are so many variations between models that you're better off choosing a particular model that you like the look of and then researching which  make is best.

 

If you want best performance vs price I'd also recommend the AAP-01 (but avoid using the full auto function)

 

 

Edited November 28, 2022 by EDcase

[Jamsandwich]

Metal slide certainly isn't super important.  Especially up here in the cold north where we're going to be settling into Winter for the next 6 months probably.

 

That aap-01 looks pretty cool with a nice upgrade path.  One site mentioned it's basically TM Glock internals?  I'll do more research after I'm done at work but that sounds positive.  I don't mind spending more over time on upgrades.  My biggest concerns is, can I get most pistols up to or past basic TM spec.

 

And thanks on the Raven/Nuprol warning.  I think I've seen the name Raven about but not been looking to hard as I had hoped to be able to source a new trigger until now.

[Impulse]

TM you'll save money in the long run. You can buy a TM GBB at around £150 and leave it completely stock and it will perform well out of the box for many many years. For most people, this is the best way forward in my opinion as most people barely use their pistols past shooting each other on the way out to games, shooting them on the range and shooting at puddles / metal things while waiting for the game to start. High cap magazines holding between 200 (mp5 mags) and 600 (AK mags) really means that pistols are largely unnecessary from a pure gameplay perspective, however pistols are some of my favourite guns, so I'm not going to start saying that pure gameplay is all that matters (leave that to the speedsofters). I will never recommend WE pistols, purely because I've witnessed so many just give up in the winter, and it amused me watching people try to use their pistols last game day when it was chilly (it's okay, karma got me in the end because my gas sniper had issues too because it's a finicky build)

 

If you do want to upgrade, I know that the AAP-01 is phenomenal for upgrading but they tend to explode out of the box after a bit of use; the hammer and sears tend to give up and need replacing, but that said mine is still going strong but I never use full-auto (Rugers don't full auto and I use mine for Vietnam games!). For pure upgradeability the AAP-01, Glock, Hi-Capa and the mk23 are the most upgradeable pistols in my opinion. It's a bit silly what you can get for those, however that can also take you down quite the rabbit hole of costs. I think all in my AAP-01 build is going to come to almost £500, but that is also including external parts to convert it to a Ruger. That's a lot more than £100, even though the pistol itself is only £90 (or £65 for the tan one on Patrolbase today for Cyber Monday!)

 

However, on the point of upgrading pistols, I only think it's worth it if you find yourself using it a lot or if it isn't performing at all well out of the box / is broken. I've done all of mine because I'm frequently negotiating a 30m MED with my rifle, but probably wouldn't if I wasn't using it as much as I do (sometimes more than my rifle!)

 

Sorry, I tend to ramble when it comes to pistols because I like them  

[EvilMonkee]

Just to echo everyone, else, buy a TM in whatever shape you fancy

[Schnitz]

There's a black Friday sale at wolf armouries and I just got a new tm 4.3 hicapa for £105, they also have the HK45 for £120

[Jamsandwich]

Thanks for all the advice guys.  I'm going to hold off on purchasing for now as I'll have to buy 2-tone anyway and end up spending later on the slide.  Might as well just pay once when I get the UKARA sorted.

 

I'm willing to go a little over 100 and stump for a TM to be honest, it sounds like a smart choice and I can still tinker with upgrades just for the giggles once it beds in.  I just quite like the idea of making it my own so I'm happy to do that.

 

Looks like I got back in the game just a little late to take advantage of Black Friday.  Not gonna be playing til the new year anyway and my Aug will do the job for a few games

 

[Rogerborg]

17 hours ago, Jamsandwich said:

Metal slide certainly isn't super important.  Especially up here in the cold north where we're going to be settling into Winter for the next 6 months probably.

 

Agreed, I actually regret getting the metal slide AA R17 rather than the plastic version.  Decent kick, but as you say, not so clever in our September to May winters.

[Enid_Puceflange]

12 hours ago, Jamsandwich said:

Thanks for all the advice guys.  I'm going to hold off on purchasing for now as I'll have to buy 2-tone anyway and end up spending later on the slide.  Might as well just pay once when I get the UKARA sorted.

 

I'm willing to go a little over 100 and stump for a TM to be honest, it sounds like a smart choice and I can still tinker with upgrades just for the giggles once it beds in.  I just quite like the idea of making it my own so I'm happy to do that.

 

Looks like I got back in the game just a little late to take advantage of Black Friday.  Not gonna be playing til the new year anyway and my Aug will do the job for a few games

 

We’ve had a couple of players who are waiting to get their third game in and register their ukara with us.

They have bought guns and agreed to collect them from the store when they have their ukara

Might be worth a phone call to see if you can buy now, while the sales on, then give them your ukara and get it then? (Non two-toned) 

[Jamsandwich]

2 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

 

Agreed, I actually regret getting the metal slide AA R17 rather than the plastic version.  Decent kick, but as you say, not so clever in our September to May winters.

 

I'll probably end up getting a metal slide anyway, just so I can pop it on for the feels 😛

 

And that's good advice @Enid_Puceflange but nah, I'll take some more time to think about what I really want (even tempted by the TM USP!) and then I may take a day trip to Edinburgh in the new year and see what LandWarrior has to offer.  Never been to an "actual" airsoft shop!

[Enid_Puceflange]

39 minutes ago, Jamsandwich said:

 

I'll probably end up getting a metal slide anyway, just so I can pop it on for the feels 😛

 

And that's good advice @Enid_Puceflange but nah, I'll take some more time to think about what I really want (even tempted by the TM USP!) and then I may take a day trip to Edinburgh in the new year and see what LandWarrior has to offer.  Never been to an "actual" airsoft shop!

On your way down the road, you have……

Kingdom of Airsoft. -  in Dundee

Airsoft World   - just outside Glenrothes 

 

Pop down with @Hawkkw (Mark Fordyce) for a game with us at Enemy Down 👍

[Jamsandwich]

Oh I didn't know about Airsoft World!  Man, lots to check out.

 

My AUG is currently sitting with KoA pretty much ready to pick up.

 

Thanks for all the advice.  I may well see you in the new year

[BigStew]

44 minutes ago, Jamsandwich said:

Oh I didn't know about Airsoft World!  Man, lots to check out.

 

My AUG is currently sitting with KoA pretty much ready to pick up.

 

Thanks for all the advice.  I may well see you in the new year

bit out the way but Airsoft world has a decently stocked show room. land warrior last time i was there wasn't brilliant for pistol choice.

[Rogerborg]

1 hour ago, Jamsandwich said:

Oh I didn't know about Airsoft World!  Man, lots to check out.

 

They're also rather flexible with defences, so you might not even have to wait for membership / UKARA.  Worse case, you can say "Cosplay, mate" and bung them an extra £20 for a bogus "defence". 

 

Normally I wag a finger at this naughtiness, but it's their problem, not yours, and I doubt you'll do anything nefarious with a RIF.

[Jamsandwich]

I'll definitely take the trip at some point.  Nice to get out the house for the day, even if it is mostly driving 

 

[Enid_Puceflange]

2 hours ago, BigStew said:

bit out the way but Airsoft world has a decently stocked show room. land warrior last time i was there wasn't brilliant for pistol choice.

Yup

The walls are covered in RIF’s, all done in manufacturers groups

decent selection

I was blown away when I went in

And you are right about LW

I think they are aiming at just being an online retailer

[BigStew]

5 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

 

They're also rather flexible with defences, so you might not even have to wait for membership / UKARA.  Worse case, you can say "Cosplay, mate" and bung them an extra £20 for a bogus "defence". 

 

Normally I wag a finger at this naughtiness, but it's their problem, not yours, and I doubt you'll do anything nefarious with a RIF.

yeah the cosplay defence is utter shite they should be ashamed of flogging it especially as they were involved in getting airsoft a defence in the 1st place. but the fort was my 1st ever site and they been good to me as a customer for the last 20ish years 

Edited November 29, 2022 by BigStew

[Rogerborg]

1 hour ago, BigStew said:

yeah the cosplay defence is utter shite they should be ashamed of flogging it

 

Mmm, it's really just a £20 surcharge on new players that don't want a 2-tone.

[BigStew]

2 hours ago, Rogerborg said:

 

Mmm, it's really just a £20 surcharge on new players that don't want a 2-tone.

they started off a few years ago going to a few cons with booths flogging RIFs. Cosplayer generally shouldn't be sold RIFs half of them got no sense what so ever and i am really surprised some one hasn't been arrested/shot yet.

[Rogerborg]

10 hours ago, BigStew said:

they started off a few years ago going to a few cons with booths flogging RIFs.

 

Their offence, their risk.  Although the cons I've looked at recently explicitly prohibit RIFs as past of costumes^[1], so I assume - I hope - they've knocked that on the head now.

 

 

10 hours ago, BigStew said:

Cosplayer generally shouldn't be sold RIFs half of them got no sense what so ever and i am really surprised some one hasn't been arrested/shot yet.

 

Cosplay is accepted as a reasonable excuse for FA S19, but not (I'd argue) for VCRA S37.

 

[1] And RIFs are now typically prohibited precisely because of absolute melts like this.  He walked away from it though.

 

https://cogconnected.com/2017/04/birmingham-airport-cops-stop-cosplayer/

[emilianoksa]

I am a huge pistol fan.   

 

At first they had to be metal to interest me. But metal pistols tend to go wrong sooner rather than later. And even the expensive ones are unreliable. The only one from my initial purchaces that I have kept is my WE Glock17 gen3. WE's G series are probably the best pistols they have ever produced.

 

 

I finally bought a plastic  TM hi capa and then put a metal slide and outer barrel on it and beefed up some of the internals. It's a nice looking gun and shoots well, but no better than the other TM pistols I subsequently bought and left stock.

 

Marui pistols are now the only ones that interest me, and I have no interest in upgrading them. I am perfectly happy to run them stock on 144a gas.

 

They just perform better than other pistols and they look so clean and well put together when you open them up.

 

They may be plastic but they look much better than a lot of metal guns with their poor paint jobs that make them look like kiddies' toys.

 

Wait until you can get another 50 quid together and get yourself a Marui. The TM FNX 45 for example will run rings round any other pistol I can  think of.

 

 

Edited December 3, 2022 by emilianoksa

[Guest]

4 hours ago, emilianoksa said:

Wait until you can get another 50 quid together and get yourself a Marui. The TM FNX 45 for example will run rings round any other pistol I can  think of.

This

[Cr0-Magnon]

There's no such thing as upgrading a TM GBBP. You put a metal kit on it and then spend loads more money, desperately trying to get it to perform almost as good as it does out of the box.

Edited December 3, 2022 by Cr0-Magnon

[emilianoksa]

42 minutes ago, Cr0-Magnon said:

There's no such thing as upgrading a TM GBBP. You put a metal kit on it and then spend loads more money, desperately trying to get it to perform almost as good as it does out of the box.

Absolutely.